22 Biology -- Biomolecules

What does dextrorotatory and dextrorotation mean?

What does dextrorotatory and dextrorotation mean?

Any compound which is able to rotate the plane polarized light, i.e. light which oscillates in just one plane,  to the right  is referred to as dextrorotary molecule. Dextrorotation refers to the right handed movement of the ppl.

Dextrorotatory and dextrorotation are terms used in chemistry to describe the direction in which a substance rotates plane-polarized light. When a substance is said to be dextrorotatory, it means that it rotates plane-polarized light to the right or clockwise direction, whereas when it is levorotatory, it rotates plane-polarized light to the left or counterclockwise direction.

The terms "dextrorotatory" and "levorotatory" come from the Latin words "dexter" meaning "right" and "lævus" meaning "left". These terms are used to indicate the direction in which a substance rotates plane-polarized light, which is a type of light in which the electric field oscillates in a single plane.

The extent to which a substance rotates plane-polarized light is measured using a polarimeter, and the magnitude of the rotation is expressed in degrees. The specific rotation of a substance is a measure of its ability to rotate plane-polarized light and is defined as the rotation per unit length of the sample, concentration, and path length of the polarimeter.

Dextrorotation is an important property of many organic compounds, particularly those that contain chiral centers, which are asymmetric carbon atoms. Chiral molecules exist in two different enantiomeric forms, which are mirror images of each other, and the direction of rotation of plane-polarized light can be used to distinguish between these two forms.

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